The invention concerns a method for detecting the wear of a cutting nozzle on a cutting torch for cutting steel workpieces, in particular slabs, blooms and slugs.
Cutting torches are provided for cutting steel workpieces and workpieces of iron alloys. To do so, the flame of the cutting torch, ignited by a beam of oxygen and cutting gas, is directed to the surface of the metal to be cut. The metal is thereby heated to its ignition temperature whereas a beam of cutting oxygen oxidises the heated metal so as to perform the cut. In so doing, the workpiece starts to burn and forms a seam which extends to a cut when the beam runs on. Since heat is generated further said flame cutting is designated as autogenous, i.e., the following steel layers of the spot to be cut is preheated further by the temperature which is obtained from the burning steel.
Impurities such as slag, dust and dirt particles usually accumulate on the cutting nozzle and penetrate into the nozzle whereby the lifetime of the cutting nozzle is reduced and said nozzle wears away more or less extensively. The variation in wear depends on the purpose and the operating conditions of the cutting nozzle.